Satisfaction in every bite

I went with a group of friends to Baby Blues BBQ to celebrate the end of a project. We happened upon their first party outdoors this year so it was extremely loud, almost impossible to hear one another. It was certainly a lively environment but sitting by the window, it was not good for talking. Our order also got misplaced so we waited almost two hours before our food came. Despite the 50% discount, we were not quite pleased with the service.

I ordered the “Get Down Miss Brown” which was essentially the pulled pork platter with two sides (also known as ‘fixin’s’). I opted for their famous mac n’ cheese and the sautéed okra but another mis-order and they gave me fried okra. Not a problem here, though, because they just brought out the sautéed ones as well. The pulled pork was juicy but the inside was still a little tough and bland, until I dumped the sweet BBQ sauce on it. The spicy varieties (hot and XXX) and the regular ones were okay but I like my sauce to be extra sweet. It was decent pulled pork nonetheless. The mac n’ cheese was very cheesy but the pasta was a bit overcooked and it was clearly heated up rather than made very fresh because the center was not exactly very warm. The sautéed okra, with tomatoes, was actually good but very greasy. The fried okra were great when dipped in more BBQ sauce.

I think when it is not so busy, the quality will improve. Not that it was bad, but I think the potential to be better is certainly there. Still, I am glad we have a place right on campus for some decent BBQ comfort food.

It was National Cabbage Day so I dropped by Così to get a Korean BBQ Pork Bowl for dinner. The Asian cabbage slaw on top was actually really good, sweet and tangy. The cabbage and various vegetables were quite crunchy and refreshing. The BBQ pork was actually really flavourful as well, not overwhelming, but sweet and comforting. The pork was tender enough although it was slightly hard to pull apart and was by no means melt-in-your-mouth. The grains were a little greasy, though, but they should not be since it is just grains and rice.The Country Lentil Soup was decent and had a strong tomato and vegetable taste. It was thick enough but not too much that it was no longer a soup. The lentils added texture and the ingredients were fresh and hearty.

The Cheesecake Brownie had a slight pungent cheese smell. It was more like a thin layer of cheese-flavoured dense cake on top of a fudge brownie. The heart shapes were cute, I though. The entire dessert was dense and chewy, the way I like my brownies to be.

Così can have a really long wait time. The staff at this particular one seem very inefficient. There are so many of them yet food comes out so slow. It takes forever every time I am there. Also, I spotted a cockroach on the wall behind the counter and that was not very comforting. Let’s hope they do not get near the actual food itself.

Mom opted for more Korean food from Yummy Korean BBQ. This time, we went with BBQ Beef. The beef was tender but could have been sliced thinner. The BBQ sauce was fantastic, perfectly savoury and sweet. I love a hearty, sweet sauce and this certainly satisfied my taste buds. The sides were again, very good. The kimchi was very sweet, though. Perhaps there was a mix up of sugar and salt? Mom did not care for it but it was great for me. That BBQ sauce, though, was by far the best I have had in a food court.

Besides ramen, the Makai Food Court at Ala Moana Center also serves up delicious, fresh Korean food at the Yummy Korean BBQ stall. Their lines are always out the door as well. With a variety of cold sides on display for customers to pick from, their meats are cooked to order.

The Spicy BBQ Chicken was absolutely scrumptious. The chicken was marinated and thus very flavour. It was so tender and juicy and the BBQ sauce, with some kochujang mixed in to give it a spicy kick, was slathered on and made the dish flavourful. We got five sides, instead of four and rice, and I really enjoyed the sides. The cucumbers were crunchy, sweet, and juicy, as was the seaweed. The kimchi was decent, as were the pea tips. The cabbage with long rice was slightly sweetened and very good as well.

The Bi Bim Bap was not as extraordinary. The beef was marinated nicely and went well with the rest of the dish. I love kochujang so that was great. The bean sprouts, carrots, and other sides on the rice were decent. I just wished the egg was runnier. It needed to completely just be liquid and mix with everything else.

With yet another place checked off on our foods to eat list, and three very full stomachs, we left the food court. Though, we would be back soon, no doubt.

Finally back in Richmond, one of my first stops with Mom was unquestionably Richmond Centre. They now have finished the work on the new food court, called the Dining Terrace. It is a very modern looking, spacious, light, and casual space on the second level where the food court was. With a couple of new concepts and some of the old, Mom and I decided to stick with some comfort food in the form of Korean BBQ from Koryo.

Their special was the Koryo Steak. For under $10 after tax, we got a medium rare steak served with three sides since we asked for no rice. The steak was cooked great, a little on the medium side, but with a wonderful barbeque marinade flavour. The sauce slathered on top also added to the great flavour. It was one of the best steaks you can ask for from a food court. The sides we got were Garlic Potato, Kimchee, and Green Beans. The kimchee and green beans were quite generic and refreshing. The fried potatoes were so crispy on the outside and had a lovely sweet flavour.

The Seafood Udon was a disappointment. It was very expensive for just a bowl of noodles. The broth was light and good but there were just endless noodles with some broccoli, green beans, and bean sprouts. There was one measly slice of fish cake, one shrimp, and a few pieces of calamari. Clearly, more seafood was needed to justify the price.

All the prices in Richmond Centre seemed to me on the high side and Koryo was certainly no exception. Definitely go for the daily specials or you will be dishing out a lot from your wallet.

As I was reading my newsfeed on Facebook this morning, a little update from Hog Shack Cook House caught my eye and notified me that Burnt Ends were available today. That made me super excited, as I still had a Groupon voucher I was saving just for when they have this off-the-menu dish, since so many online reviewers claim it is a must-try at this restaurant. After phoning in at night to confirm they still had it, we went down to Steveston on this very sunny and warm evening.

Burnt Ends are seriously burnt and VERY smoky. The meat was succulent and the smokiness was incredibly strong. The BBQ flavour was not too overwhelming, especially in the larger pieces. The smaller pieces of meat were very delicious and melted in my mouth. However, some pieces were mostly fat, which none of us ate. A few of the bigger pieces were slightly on the dry side and the sauce had not seeped into it as nicely, leaving it a little bland and just plain smoky. When the pieces were nice and juicy though, the flavour was that of a fine smoky BBQ sauce. I was a little surprised how the meat can be so smoky yet not completely charred. The portion size was very decent as well. For $16, the platter came with the choice of two sides. We selected the Yam Fries and Corn Bread. The Yam Fries were sweet and delicious. They were more of a flatter, wider cut but were quite large yet still crispy on the outside. Well, after a while, they got soggy and they were not served piping hot to begin with. While they had the crunch, they were good. The chipotle mayo served alongside for dipping was full of flavour and had quite some heat to it, which I really appreciated. The one piece of Corn Bread was decent in size and had the sweet aroma of corn and butter. However, I found it to be on the dry side even though the flavour was good.

The Hot Prawn & Mushroom Salad was decent in size for $14. There were about eight prawns and quite a bit of mushrooms on top of a bed of romaine with a few tomato chunks. The prawns were tender and the mushrooms somewhat flavourful after being sautéed. I just found the mushrooms and prawns to be on the oily side, which is not necessary for simply sautéing. The oil also collected on the bottom of the dish, which made the greens on the bottom too oily to eat. The cheddar cheese strips were large and slightly melted due to the heat from the prawns and mushrooms but did not add much flavour to the dish. For a restaurant besides the harbour, I expected fresh ingredients when it comes to seafood, but I think the ones we got were frozen tiger prawns.

Finally, deciding two dishes were not enough for the three of us since we were all really hungry, we ordered the Black And Blue, blackened blue cod fillet served with sautéed vegetables and Spanish rice pilaf. Mom wanted to try the rice because it looked appetizing in the online photos. I was also in the mood for sautéed vegetables, since so many reviewers said Hog Shack made them really tasty. The cod was nicely blackened while still succulent and somewhat moist inside. The char made it crispy and slightly chewy. The tomato sauce was bland and without much seasoning to flavour it. The Spanish rice was mediocre and I have had better. There were actually a few chunks of rice that were stuck together, which made me wonder when it was made. The vegetables were great though. They were still on the raw side, especially the zucchini since it was not at all mushy yet. The carrots were sweet and the broccoli soaked up the flavour. They were slightly buttered but not much and were a nice, crunchy treat for me.

The servers were nice and the ambiance casual and relaxing. The windows made way for a lot of light and it was a typical little restaurant by the water. This to me will make me want to go back, because the food alone will probably not urge for a return trip if the atmosphere was not something special.